Host a gathering: Aspinwall business owner writes book about charcuterie boards
Sarah Zimmerman Tuthill calls them gathering boards.
They are more than meats and cheese and fruits and vegetables artistically arranged on a wooden board.
Charcuterie boards are the vehicle which brings people together to share food but more importantly to gather for celebrations of sharing special life moments. Charcuterie is a French word that means cured meat. One of the trends in culinary are these boards which Tuthill creates at her Aspinwall shop Gathering Boards by EZPZ Gatherings or EZPZ Gatherings.
“Nothing brings people together like a beautiful spread of delicious food,” Tuthill said. “Most occasions big and small are celebrated over food. Which is why I always say ‘You can keep entertaining simple, but make it memorable.’”
Tuthill opened her business at the end of 2019.
The 2020 pandemic delayed some of her plans but she came back strong.
“The silver lining was that the pandemic gave me time to really develop what I wanted to be and what my specific service would be,” she said. “When things opened up, I was way ahead of the game in terms of my business model.”
That business model included writing a book.
The 144-page “Gathering Boards” is set to launch in June.
In addition to charcuterie boards, it includes drink pairings and floral arrangements to complement the food. There also are recipes some of her late mother, Judy Zimmerman, who passed away on May 13, 2005.
Zimmerman often invited friends and family to her home and thought of every little thing down to the tiniest detail.
“We had a very close relationship,” said Tuthill, who dedicated the book to her mom. “She had a way of making everyone feel welcome. Like me, she didn’t spend a lot of time cooking, but had a flair for bringing people together with the promise of good food, plenty of wine and lots of laughter. “
Michael Lyons, the business development manager from Rowman & Littlefield, the parent company of Globe Piquot, reached out to Tuthill about doing a book. He had read a TribLive story where Tuthill said she wanted to write a book.
It took eight months to complete.
“It was so much fun. Ideas just poured out of me. I knew what I wanted to write because I was always the girl who brought the cheese board to the party,” said Tuthill, who also has done some freelance writing. “I can show you how to take a drugstore or supermarket bouquet of flowers and elevate them.”
In the book, she includes tips about the art of the design of a charcuturie board to how to decorate a table top. She shares recipes for items such as dips, some that were her mom’s.
Tuthill said there are three coincidences with her mother and the book. Tuthill was first contacted about it on May 13, 2022. Two years later, on May 13, 2024, the first copies arrived.
Her mom died on May 13, 2005. The book launch party is June 2 which was Zimmerman’s birthday.
“She is with me, to be sure,” Tuthill said. “She would be so happy. She loved to entertain. She was a gracious host. These boards are perfect for an intimate gathering or date night, a get-together like book club or dinner club, as well as a larger celebration or party.”
She has four sizes of boards but can customize. If a customer wants a personalized cherry and walnut board with a monogram or engraved message it would be created by Clifford Reese. founder of Steel City Arts.
Reese said Tuthill saw his work at the restaurant Spork. He said she is a pleasure to work with and is a true artist with her arrangements.
Tuthill hosts what she calls boarding school workshops to teach guests how to create a visually pleasing charcuterie board. She also shares her expertise in the book.
“You eat with your eyes,” Tuthill said. “And this is what this book is all about. “
Meet the author and book launch
Local Provisions at 1111 Freeport Road in the Fox Chapel Plaza will host Sarah Zimmerman Tuthill from 3 to 5 p.m. June 2.
There will be a book signing, samples and refreshments.
Books can be preordered on Bookshop, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Price is $27.95 for a hardcover.
For details, visit ezpzgatherings.com.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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